Silo construction



March 4, 1941. A. H. MARTIN ETAL 2,234,139

sILo coNsTRUcTIoN Filed Feb. 5, -1940 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SILO CONSTRUCTION Application February 5, 1940,Serial No. 317,424

12 Claims.

This invention r-elates to improvements in silos and more particularlyto building units therefor. including a door frame with doors adapted tobe applied to a silo constructed of interiitting concrete blocks.However, it is, of course, to be understood .that without materialmodification the major portion of the building unit including the doorsand door frame are equally adaptable to other types of silos made eitherof sheet metal or wood.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a strong anddurable building unit of the above general character which may beinexpensively manufactured and installed.

A further object is to provide a practical unit of the above characterhaving a relatively few parts which may be easily and quickly assembled.

A further object is to provide a building unit which may be placed atany position in the usual vertical opening common to silo constructionsand have associated therewith one or more additional circumferentialstrengthening bands as necessary or desired according to its relativelocation in the building.

A further object is to provide a door frame with doors provided withsuitable securing means and hinges with the latter extendingsubstantially across the entire width of the door thereby to permit thesame .to be used as the steps of a ladder to permit easy climbing to thetop of the silo.

A further object is to provide a unit of the above mention-ed characterin which a plurality of oppositely swinging doors are mounted in eachunit frame in such a manner as to permit the doors to be swungrelatively inwardly and in a plane substantially tangential to the planeof the opening and thereafter lie snugly against the inner wall of thesilo.

Other objects will in part be obvious from the annexed drawing and inpart hereinafter indicated in connection therewith by .the followinganalysis of the invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts, and in the unique relation of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To ena-ble others skilled in the art fully to comprehend the underlyingfeatures of the invention, that they may embody the same by the numerousmodifications in structure and relation contemplated by the invention, adrawing depicting a preferred embodiment of the invention forms a partof this disclosure, and in such drawing like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which-Figure 1 is an elevational View of a portion 5 of the silo provided withthe usual vertical side opening and showing one complete unit;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along thelin-e 2-2 of Figure l, showing one of the doors swung inwardly in adotted line-position;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a substantially central vertical sectional view taken alongthe line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and more particularly to Figure1, `li indicates a part of the usual cylindrical wall of a silo which inthe present case may -be made of interftting concrete slabs or blocks 6each provided with dovetailed or tongue and groove connections 'I asshown in Figures 2 and 3 with adjacent blocks or strips 9 secured to thedoor frame shortly to be described. As well known to those familiar withthe subject, silos are provided with a vertically extending opening inthe circumference provided with closure means of vany desired ch-aracterwhereby as the silo is filled the opening may be progressively closed bydoors, for example, or as the silo is emptied, then these doors areopened one by one and swung out of the way or removed entirely accordingvto the construction.

Likewise it is to be noted ,that it is customary to providestrengthening bands extending about the silo at intervals from top tobottom. Inasmuch as the vgreatest strain is exerted on the lower part ofthe silo, in order to counteract this outward pressure due vto theincreasing weight of the contents of the silo, one or more additional orauxiliary strengthening bands are provided as necessary. For instance,in Figure 1 there is shown usual circumferential bands 8 in line withthe joint between two door frames l0 and as herein shown two additionalstrengthening bands Il are provided and connected with the d0or45 frame,but in such a manner as not to interfere with the free passing of onethrough the opening when the doors are open.

These strengthening bands are usually provided with turnbuckles I2 tovary the tension to the desired degree and the intermediate bands Il arefurther provided with spacers such as the perforated angle irons I3 forholding the bands Il in properly spaced parallel relation yet permittingtheir terminals to extend diagonally up-c wardly and downwardly asindicated at I4 and I5 to .their point of attachment to the transverseportions I6 of the door frames. As shown in Figure 3, .these bands I4bend inwardly at their extreme end and pass through the transverseportion I6 of the door frame and nuts I'I are screwed onto the threadedends thereby to hold .the parts in assembled relation.

As herein shown, each frame I0 is provided with two doors 20 and 2|which are supported by means of metal hinge members 22 each of whichable bracket 23 mounted upon the vertical parts I0 of the door frame.These members 22 are so shaped and const-ructed as to extendsubstantially across the entire width of the opening from the hingedbracket 23 on one side to a second bracket on pivotal support 24 securedto the outer face of the door ZI, for example, at the opposite side ofthe opening.

It will thus-be seen byreferring to Figure 2 that on releasing a.locking ymeans 25 which in this case is merely a pivoted clamp movablymounted upon the door -by bolt 26 and having its opposite end 21engaging the outer face of the metallic transverse portion I6 of thedoor frame, the door may be swung inwardly about its hinge bracket V2,3lto a position closely adjacent the inner Wall of the silo. Thepeculiar'pivotal connection at each end of the arm 22 permits this 'doorto maintain a position at all times substantially parallel to the planeo f the opening or parallel to a tangent tothe silo opi-positie to thedoor iny any position.

Referring to Figure 14, it will be seen that the door 20 is preferablyconstructed of a double thickness of good high-grade fir timber, the twolayersbeing arranged with the inner layer v2l] extendingy below theouter layer 28 as shown in this View, thereby vproducing an overlapjoint and holding the lower door 2I in closed position, thus requiringthat the upper door 28 be opened first. Thisconnection is substantiallyair and weatherproof and does away with the necessity of an additionalclamping means 25 at both the top and bottom of each door. In otherwords, one clamp 'at'the top of the door 20 and another clamp atthe'bottom of the door ZI each engaging the transverse -'portions It` ofthe door frame will be sufl'i'cient.

ey unit as made yforlcormr'ete silos usually includes the metallic angleiron/frame III-I6, and thev two doors 20-'2I as well as the associatedconcrete vertical strips 9 as shown in Figures 2 and 3 LAwhich unit maybe readily assembled with the other concrete units going into'the mainportionof vthe silo. If, however, the door frame unit isemployed in a`sheet metal silo or one made ofwood, then vthese vertical side strips 9are easily removed or omitted and the angle irons IIl'will interfit withand be secured to the wrought iron sheets or the woodenvstaves of thesilo according to the construction used. v

It Vwill be noted particularly that this building unit will not warp,rot, crack or waste away. The doorsgwith the peculiar se'lfftightening`locking -means or -latchesmake the silos substantially air and weathertight. The frames permit one or moreadditionalbinding rods to beconveniently passed about the silo without in any way interferingwiththe opening or- Vertical doorway as and when desired. The peculiarform of hinges notonly providea safe and reliable ladder when y-the1doorsy are closed, extending substantially the enti-re .widtlrlI of jthe opening, v:but also'prevent. loss is carried a't one end by a suitofthe doors as might occur if the doors were bodily removed from the silo.The hinges also permit the doors to be swung inwardly out of the weatherduring the empty season in compact relation and directly against theinterior walls of the silo.

By providing the doors and door frames in units as herein shown the silocan be built to any desired height as it merely involvesthe placing ofone unit on top of the other. The entire frame is made of relativelyinexpensive angle irons preferably welded together to provide theindividual frames. The superimposed frames are conveniently boltedtogether one above the other as necessary. The entire constructioninvolves relatively few parts which may be inexpensively manufactured,assembled and installed without Vthe necessity of skilled labor.

"ting certain vfeatures that, from the standpoint ofv the prior art,fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specicaspects of the invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should andare intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the following claims. v

We claim:

l. A building unit for silo construction com'- prising a rectangularframe having a plurality of doors mounted therein hinged alternately toswing in opposite directions, hinge members constituting steps andextending substantially across the face ofthe unit, a hinge support onthe frame for" one'end of each of vsaidI steps, the hinge supports beingon opposite sides of the frame, a pivot mounted on each doorfor theopposite end of its step, and locking means carried by each door adaptedto' coact with the frame whereby when 'both doors are opened the entireframe is unobstructed.

2. A building unit of the character set forth in claim (l), in whichsaid steps comprise strips of metal, the body portion of which issubstantially parallel to the face of the unit, and the ends of whichare bent inwardly to connect with the hinge and pivot whereby the doorsmay swing inwardlyl and oppositely into substantial engage-E rnentV withthe interior walls of the silo.

3. A building unit of the character set forth in claim (l), in whicheach door is made of a doublev thickness of material of different areato provide an overlap joint therebetween and to permit the upper door tobe opened independentlyl of rvthe door the'rebelow.-

4. A building unit for silo construction cornprisinga rectangularmetallic frame having hinge pins secured to the opposite vertical sideswith one at a higher level than'- the other,l a step mou-ntedron eachofsaid hinge pins, doors for vclosing the frameopening, a pivot pinconnectsilo, said bands comprising substantially parallel metallicmembers each terminating in diagonally disposed ends, said diagonal endseach beingseparately anchored to the top and bottom trans- Verseportions of the frame, respectively.

6. A building unit for concrete silo construction comprising arectangular metal door frame tted therein and having closures for thesame, and two auxiliary bands connected with the frame and l0 adapted toextend about the silo, said bands comprising substantially parallelmetallic members each terminating in diagonally disposed ends, saiddiagonal ends each being sparately anchored to the top and bottomtransverse portions of the frame, respectively, means adjacent thediagonally disposed ends of said bands for holding the main parts of thebands in spaced relation, and means associated with the bands forregulating their tension.

7. A building unit for silo construction cornprising a substantiallyrectangular metallic frame, said frame being provided with a pluralityof inwardly swing doors, hinges for said doors comprising strips ofmetal substantially parallel to the face of the unit but spacedtherefrom, brackets secured to the opposite sides of the frame formingpivot pins for the ends of said hinges, the respective opposite ends ofsaid hinges being pivotally secured adjacent the opposite edges of therespective doors whereby they extend substantially across the unit fromone side to the other to provide steps, and permit the doors to swinginwardly from the face of the unit and back against the interior wall ofthe silo maintaining at all times a position substantially parallel tothe face of the unit and when open leave the frame unobstructed.

8. A building unit for silo construction comprising a substantiallyrectangular frame of angle 40 irons7 two oppositely and inwardlyswinging doors mounted therein, hinges for said doors comprising stripsof metal substantially parallel to the face of the unit but spacedtherefrom, means secured to the frame at one side forming a pivot 45 forone of said hinges, similar means secured to the opposite side of saidframe to which the other hinge is secured, the respective opposite endsof said hinges being pivotally secured adjacent the opposite edges ofthe respective doors whereby 50 said hinges extend substantially acrossthe unit from one side to the other to provide steps, said hinges andconnections permitting the doors to swing inwardly from the face of theunit and back against the interior wall of the silo thereby 55 to leavethe entire frame unobstructed.

9. A building unit for silo construction comprising a substantiallyrectangular frame, the side members of said frame having associatedtherewith concrete strips adapted to intert with 60 adjacent units ofthe silo, said rectangular frame being provided with two inwardlyswinging doors, hinges for said doors comprising strips of metalsubstantially parallel to the face of the unit but spaced therefrom,brackets secured to the frame 65 at the sides forming pivotal supportsfor said hinges, the respective opposite ends of said hinges beingpivotally secured adjacent the opposite edges of the respective doorswhereby they extend from one side to the other to provide steps, saidconnections permitting the doors toswing inwardly from the face of theunit and back against the interior wall of the silo to leave the entireframe opening unobstructed, and bands adapted to pass about said silo atright angles to the side walls of the frame and having securing means onthe ends thereby to permit the ends to extend diagonally to points ofconnection with the upper and lower transverse members of said framerespectively, ywhile maintaining the major portion of the bands inparallel relation.

l0. A building unit for silo construction comprising a substantiallyrectangular frame of angle irons, the side members of said frame havingassociated therewith concrete strips adapted tointerfit with adjacentunits of the silo, said rectangular frame being provided with twooppositely and inwardly swinging doors, hinges for said doors comprisingstrips of metal substantially parallel to the face of the unit butspaced therefrom, a bracket secured to the frame at one side for forminga pivot pin for one of said hinges, a similar bracket secured to theopposite side of said frame to which the other hinge is secured, therespective opposite ends of said hinges being pivotally secured adjacentthe opposite edges of the respective doors whereby they extendsubstantially across the frame from one side to the other to providesteps, said pivotal connections permitting the doors to swing inwardlyfrom the face of the unit and back against the interior wall of the siloand leave the opening in the frame entirely unobstructed, and two bandsadapted to pass about said silo at right angles to the side walls of theframe and each having its ends terminating in a diagonal connection withthe nearest transverse member of said frame.

1l. A building unit for silo construction comprising a rectangular frameadapted to be mounted in the door front of the silo, two doors in saidframe hinged to open in opposite directions, and a hinge member for eachdoor constituting a step extending horizontally substantially acrossAthe door and pivotally mounted on the unit frame at one end and on itsdoor at the opposite end, the pivotal mountings on the frame being onopposite sides thereof, whereby the doors may be swung inwardly toentirely clear the opening in the unit frame.

12. A silo having a door front, a plurality of rectangular metal lframeunits mounted therein, each unit having two doors hinged tol open inopposite directions, Iand a hingle member for each door constituting astep extending horizontally substantially across the door and pivotallymounted on the unit frame at one end and on its door at the oppositeend, the pivotal mountings on the trame being on opposite sides thereof,whereby the doors may be swung inwardly to entirely clear the opening inthe unit frame.

ADAM H. MARTIN. BENJAMIN H. MARTIN.

